The present invention relates to refrigerators, freezers and other thermally insulated containers, provided with one or more doors adapted to close and access opening of the container. In particular, the present invention relates to a retainer and seal gasket for use in assembling the shell and liner portions of the container without separate mechanical fasteners, such as screws or rivets.
A refrigerator is generally a cabinet constructed of a metal outer shell, an injection molded or vacuum formed plastic liner, insulation, and a means for assembling and fastening these elements. This fastening means is generally a metal clip, which provides a conductive heat transfer path from the exterior to the interior of the cabinet, resulting in energy loss. The refrigerator door typically has an elastic magnetic seal gasket for releasably closing the container. Numerous techniques and devices for assembling the components of a refrigerator are known in the art. These techniques generally involve multiple pieces as well as separate mechanical fasteners. The use of these separate fasteners often requires numerous holes to be drilled. As a result, assembly of the refrigerator is a complicated, multiple-step operation, and results in low repeatability, high cost, and flaws in manufacture.
Although these conventional methods of attaching the refrigerator and door components have been acceptable in the art thus far, it is desirable to provide a simple retainer and gasket to fasten the shell and liner portions of the refrigerator.